Stephen Jay Gould

1994 William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement

Stephen Jay Gould is Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology and professor of geology at Harvard University, and curator of invertebrate paleontology at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology. He is internationally recognized as the co-author of the theory of punctuated equilibrium, the notion that evolution proceeds in relatively unpredictable bursts, rather than the steady-paced gradualism accepted by Darwinian orthodoxy. Gould is also a historian of science, a teacher and a lecturer par excellence, recognized for his ability to communicate science to the public, through monthly articles in Natural History magazine, among other venues. His many books include: The Panda's Thumb, The Mismeasure of Man, Ontogeny and Phylogeny, Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes, and Eight Little Piggies. His many honors include the Schuchert Award of the Paleontology Society, the Silver Medal of the Zoological Society of London and the Glenn T. Seaborg Award.